The big night finally came quicker than I expected. My mother was a little scared when I told her that I had a date for the Winter Ball, but after father spent some time alone with her to calm her down. She accepted it, and the next weekend we went dress shopping. After an hour of trying on expensive dresses, I found the perfect one. It was a short black dress with replicas of diamonds on the top.

I looked at myself in the mirror in my bedroom and looked at the outfit I was wearing while Mother finished curling my hair. "You look just like me when I was your age," Mother smiled as she worked on the final curl. I couldn't help but smile, but at the same time, I was still hurting, and I kept praying to God that the pain would stop, at least for tonight. I heard a knock on the front door, and Father called out that he would get it.

"Dusk! Quigley's here!" He called out after I heard him open the door. "Alright, do you have everything?" Mother asked as I double-checked my small clutch. Feminine products, lip gloss, and some money just in case. Father was going to be chaperoning the dance, so he was there in case I needed him. Along with Mrs. Quagmire and Uncle Jacques. "Coming!" I called out. I grabbed the small clear box containing Quigley's boutonniere, and I met him at the bottom of the staircase.

His eyes grew wider the longer he stared at me. "You look stunning, Dusk," He smiled. I told him that he looked handsome in his black suit and tie. His cheeks turned a brighter pink as I slipped my hand into his, and Mother took a few pictures of us before we got into the backseat of Father's car, and we drove off towards Denouement High.

On the way there, I pinned Quigley's boutonniere to his suit, and he slipped a beautiful rose and lavender corsage onto my right wrist. The three of us walked down the hall towards the banquet hall where the dance was being held. And when we walked through those doors, my jaw dropped at the lovely setup.

"No wonder you chose this place to hold the Winter Ball, Father. This place is amazing!" I smiled. "It's a new edition to the school. This was built about seven years ago," he explained. The place was empty, and the music wasn't playing yet, so Quigley and I sat at a table and started talking, although we were mostly staring into each other's eyes. "I know I've said this before, but you look beautiful tonight," he smiled.

Before I could respond, I saw a few students start to arrive, and I saw that two of them were Klaus and Veronica. Veronica wore a light purple dress that looked a shade darker underneath the lights, and Klaus was wearing a white tuxedo with a black bowtie. "You look beautiful, Veronica," I smiled. "Thank you, Dusk! So do you!" She smiled. They sat down at the table with Quigley and me, and we all started talking until more students arrive and the music started playing.

"Hey guys!" Violet waved to us as she and Duncan entered, wearing dark purple clothing. "Wow, Violet, you definitely stayed true to your name," Klaus chuckled. "Hey, I'm not the only one! Dusk stayed true to her name as well!" she said, pointing to my black dress. "She does have a point there, Klaus," I smiled. Soon, the hall was filled with students either dancing on the dance floor or at the white-clothed tables, engaged in conversation. While I was talking to Veronica, I heard a slow song come on, and I looked over at Quigley, who was looking over at me as well.

"Ask him to dance!" Veronica whispered, gently nudging me with her arm. "Okay," I whispered back. My eyes met Quigley's,  and he glanced over at the dance floor then back at me. "Do you want to dance?" he asked. I nodded, and we stood up and walked to an empty spot on the dance floor, and I felt him wrap an arm around my waist while the other one interlocked our fingers together. I wrapped an arm around the back of his neck, pulling him slightly closer to me. I had only dreamed that I would be wrapped in my love's embrace for so many years, and now it was finally happening.

"Thanks for asking me to the dance. I'm glad I'm here with you," I whispered. "Me too," he smiled. My fingers brushed against Quigley's hair, and I couldn't help but smile as our eyes met again. Then, the slow song came to a stop when I heard the sound of screaming. Quigley and I looked up and saw Carmelita and Fiona were at the dance as well, and they did not look happy.